User:Tony1/sandbox

Eight? tips for planning and writing applications for GAC review

Vagueness, lack of the right kind of detail, is the biggest problem for GAC reviewers. The bigger the total budget and the bigger individual budget lines, the more the information that may be required for justification.

1. Don't apply late.
2. Be precise about your goals.

   Not "several Indic languages", but "three Indic languages: Bangla, Tegalu, and Hindi".

   Not "Wikipedia", but "the Bangla, Tegalu, Hindi, and English Wikipedias, in that order of priority".

   Not "create and improve articles on the Arabic Wikipedia", but "on the Arabic Wikipedia target the areas of (i) Arabic-speaking women in science and the arts; (ii) history and varieties of Arabic; and (iii) the economies of Arabic-speaking nations."

3. Be precise about labour costs.

   Say whether the hire will be a casual (by the hour) or fixed-term position. State the period of employment (e.g. 1 April – 30 October 2014).

   If a part-time fixed-term position, state the FTE (full-time equivalent); for example, 0.4 FTE is two full days per week, and 1.0 FTE is five full days per week (full time). Use as the full-time benchmark whatever is the norm for full-time administrative-sector employment in your country—typically 35–40 hours per week. Include the number of hours—whether per week or month, and say "an average of" if these are likely to vary.

   Provide the hourly rate—both the basic pay the person will receive and any on-costs (additional employment taxes, insurance, medical, that must be paid by the employer). Consider naming the employee if you know who they will be and there is no privacy objection by that person.

   If the job is specialised or requires a particular combination of skills, specify.

   Here is an example of a budget line: Manager of the 2014 African travel locations photographic competition for the Wikivoyage user group / Fixed-term 16 weeks, 14 July – 7 November 2014, average FTE 0.25 (10 hours per week) / €12/h x 10 h x 16 wks = €1920

   The skill-base should be roughly described elsewhere, and if there are likely to be peaks and troughs in work, state your predictions elsewhere: "There will be an be two periods of relatively high workload: for six weeks initially in planning, liaising with the user group and Wikivoyage community, and organising publicity in X languages on Y WMF sites, and Z travel and photographic outlets; and in the final month, for managing the judging process, prize-giving, and press releases."

4. Generally keep currency line items to whole units of currency: not $2630.58, just $2631, especially when converting from your own currency; cents are are sometimes appropriate for individual items ($20.62 per item x 8 = $21, not $20.96 please). Loose change amounting to two dollars in a budget of $5000 is not worth the clutter; we care more about big issues like impact-for-money.
5. Be precise about measures of success.

   Items should generally express your best estimate of current numbers and a reasonable, achievable target you'd be pleased to achieve. For example,

6. Equipment.

   Obtain best-value quotes if the equipment is a big item. Work out who will own the equipment after it is used in your project (often a chapter). Will it be lent out to or used by Wikimedians after your project?

7. Trivial physical items.
8. Printing costs.
9. Travel costs and accommodation.
10. Editathons.
11. Conferences.
12. Office hire.